Keele University
A 600-acre countryside campus with its own medical school, a joint vet school and a placement option on every degree.
- Students
- 10,370
- International
- 20%
- of students
- Student–faculty
- 15.4:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- £17,100
- From · 2027-28
- Founded
- 1949
About Keele
Keele was founded in 1949 as the University College of North Staffordshire, the first new university of the 20th century, and received its royal charter as the University of Keele in 1962. Its founder, A. D. Lindsay, the Master of Balliol College, Oxford, wanted a college that broke down the divide between arts and sciences, and Keele pioneered dual honours degrees in the UK. The university occupies a campus of about 600 acres of woodland, lakes and gardens around the Victorian Keele Hall, just outside Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire.
Teaching is organised in three faculties: Business, Law, Humanities and Social Sciences; Medicine and Health Sciences; and Natural Sciences. Keele is one of a handful of UK universities with both a medical school and a veterinary school, the latter run jointly with Harper Adams University since 2020. Health subjects are a particular strength: the Guardian University Guide 2027 places Keele 3rd in England for midwifery, and musculoskeletal research is a long-standing specialism.
Offers for most courses sit between BBC and ABB at A-level, with Medicine at A*AA, and home applicants who meet contextual criteria usually get two grades off. Every undergraduate degree includes a placement option. Keele suits students who want a self-contained campus community with everything within walking distance, rather than life in a big city.
Thanke God for All
University motto
Why students choose Keele
Every undergraduate degree (apart from apprenticeships and top-up degrees) offers a placement opportunity, with past placements at employers such as AstraZeneca, Bentley, L'Oréal, Nintendo and the NHS.
Keele holds Gold in both the 2017 and 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework, one of 15 broad-based universities in England to do so.
Most courses make contextual offers two grades below the typical offer (for example BBC instead of ABB for Law) for home applicants who meet one indicator, such as being first in the family to go to university.
All accommodation, teaching buildings, a medical centre and a sports centre sit on one campus, and first-years who firm Keele and apply by 24 July are guaranteed a room.
Admissions
2027 entry
Selectivity
Keele does not publish an overall offer rate. Typical 2027 offers range from BBC (e.g. Business Management, Forensic Science, PPE) through BBB (Psychology, Computer Science) to ABB (Law, Pharmacy, Physics, Midwifery), with Medicine at A*AA. Keele says that for most courses it does not decide on predicted grades alone and may make a 'double offer' (degree plus foundation year) to borderline applicants.
Typical entry requirements
| A-levels | Course-specific for 2027 entry: BBC (Business Management, Forensic Science, Philosophy Politics and Economics), BBB (Psychology, Computer Science), ABB (Law, Pharmacy, Physics, Midwifery), A*AA or AAA plus an A in the EPQ (Medicine, including Biology or Chemistry). Contextual offers are usually two grades lower (one grade for health courses such as Medicine and Pharmacy); subject requirements are not reduced |
|---|---|
| IB Diploma | Course-specific, e.g. 655 at Higher Level or 32 points for Law (contextual 554 or 29 points); 555 at Higher Level or 30 points for Veterinary Medicine |
| GCSEs | English at grade 4/C for all courses, Maths and/or Science at 4/C for most; Medicine asks for five GCSEs at 7/A with at least 6/B in English Language, Maths, Biology, Chemistry and Physics |
| Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (D100) | ABC/BBB at A-level, DDM in BTEC or IB H5,H5,H5 or 30 points |
| English language | IELTS 6 2027/28 entry: each course is assigned an English group. Group A (e.g. Psychology, Computer Science): IELTS Academic 6.0 with 5.5 in all components; Group B (e.g. Law): IELTS 6.5 with 5.5 in all components. Keele lists TOEFL iBT requirements on the new 1-6 band scale (4 overall for Group A, 4.5 for Group B). Medicine asks for IELTS 7.0 in each component or TOEFL iBT 100 (old scale); GCSE English at 4/C meets the requirement for most UK students. |
Deadlines
- UCAS (Medicine, Veterinary Medicine and Surgery) Non-binding Next deadline · In 9 days15 October 2026, 18:00 UK time
Deadline for Medicine (A100) and Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (D100).
- UCAS equal consideration deadline Non-binding In ~3 months13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
All other courses; Keele welcomes later applications to most courses if places remain.
- UCAS last date before Clearing Non-binding In ~9 months30 June 2027, 18:00 UK time
Applications received after this are entered into Clearing, which opens on 2 July 2027; places depend on availability.
Dates are from Keele's 2027-entry application page, which matches UCAS. UCAS Extra opens on 25 February 2027 and Clearing on 2 July 2027.
How to apply
Apply through UCAS (Keele institution code K12) with a personal statement and an academic reference. Offers are normally made by the end of March for applications received by the January deadline. Medicine, Veterinary Medicine and health courses add interviews and, for Medicine, the UCAT.
What admissions looks for
- The typical offer for your course, with any subject requirements met in full (for example a B in Maths or Computer Science for the BBC route into Computer Science).
- GCSE English at grade 4/C, and Maths and/or Science at 4/C for most courses.
- For most courses, a wider picture than predicted grades: previous achievement, work experience, extra-curricular activities, the personal statement, the reference and personal circumstances.
- For health courses and Veterinary Medicine, performance at a compulsory interview; for Medicine, a UCAT total of at least 1,700 as well.
Tips for applying to Keele
- 1 If you are taking the EPQ, Core Maths or a similar extra qualification, Keele will make you a second, lower alternative offer (typically two grades off, with a B in the EPQ), and you only need to meet one of the two.
- 2 Tick the relevant boxes on UCAS (first in family, free school meals, young carer, care experience): contextual offers are applied automatically.
- 3 Medicine applicants must sit the UCAT in the year they apply and meet the GCSE profile before applying; totals below 1,700 are not considered.
- 4 Firm Keele and apply for accommodation by 24 July to be guaranteed a room on campus.
Costs & financial aid
2027-28 · figures in GBP
International undergraduates are automatically considered for the Keele UG Global Scholarship (£3,000 tuition discount for 2026/27 entry), the Advanced Entry Scholarship (£3,000) and the International Baccalaureate Global Scholarship (£1,000); Article 26 Sanctuary Scholarships cover full fees and a stipend for refugees. Home students can apply for the Care Leavers' and Estranged Students' Bursary (£1,000 a year plus £500 on graduation) and receive up to £500 through the Placement Bursary Initiative. A full placement year costs 20% of the home fee.
- £3,000 tuition discount, automatic
- Keele UG Global Scholarship (international, 2026/27 entry)
- £1,000 per year plus £500 on graduation
- Care Leavers' and Estranged Students' Bursary
- £4,865 (standard shared) to £8,815 (superior en-suite)
- Campus accommodation, 38-week contract (2026/27)
- 20% of the home tuition fee
- Placement year fee
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters
Medicine (MBChB, A100)
Five-year course with a hospital campus in Stoke-on-Trent; A*AA, UCAT and interview; 9th in England for medicine in the Guardian University Guide 2027.
Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVetMS, D100)
Taught with Harper Adams University in a school launched in 2020; its second cohort graduated in 2026 and rated it 3rd in the UK for veterinary medicine in the National Student Survey.
Midwifery (BSc, B720)
3rd in England in the Guardian University Guide 2027, with integrated clinical placements; ABB and an interview.
Forensic Science (BSc, F415)
Accredited course ranked 1st in England in the Complete University Guide 2027, with a crime scene house on campus; BBC.
Physics (BSc, F300)
2nd in England in the National Student Survey 2026 among broad-based universities, with access to the campus observatory and its 24-inch telescope; ABB.
Pharmacy (MPharm, B230)
8th in England in the Guardian University Guide 2027; ABB and an interview; international fee £25,600 (2026/27).
Research
- 80% of Keele's research was rated world-leading or internationally excellent in REF 2021.
- Keele says its research on musculoskeletal disorders has been recognised as No.1 in the world.
- The on-campus Science and Innovation Park hosts more than 50 businesses.
- Keele was named Global Sustainability Institution of the Year in the 2021 International Green Gown Awards and has 12,500 solar panels and two wind turbines on campus, generating up to half its electricity.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Business, Law, Humanities and Social Sciences
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
- Faculty of Natural Sciences
- Keele Business School
- School of Law
- School of Social Sciences
- School of Medicine
- School of Nursing and Midwifery
- School of Allied Health Professions and Pharmacy
- School of Psychology
- School of Computer Science and Mathematics
- School of Engineering and Physical Sciences
- Harper and Keele Veterinary School
Keele was placed in the UK top 15 for graduate employability prospects in the 2026 Uni Compare rankings, which are based on student reviews. Keele does not publish a Graduate Outcomes percentage on its main pages.
Student life
Keele is a true campus university: accommodation, teaching buildings, cafés, bars, a sports centre, a medical centre and a pharmacy are clustered in the centre of a 600-acre estate of woodland, lakes and gardens, all a few minutes' walk apart. Keele Students' Union runs an entertainment venue and more than 100 clubs and societies, and the Athletic Union organises competitive sport. Keele Hall and the cherry trees along Cherry Tree Walk are campus landmarks. Students head into Newcastle-under-Lyme for bars and a cinema, and Manchester and Birmingham are under an hour away.
- Over 2,600 bedrooms on campus, from standard shared halls to superior en-suites in Barnes Hall.
- More than 100 Students' Union clubs and societies.
- Ranked 9th in England for international student experience in the Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2026.
- On-campus observatory with a 24-inch research telescope, open regularly to the public.
Housing. First-years whose course starts in September, who firmly accept a Keele offer and apply for accommodation by midnight on 24 July are guaranteed a room on campus; international students who apply by 24 July can stay on campus for the whole course.
Location
Keele sits in the Staffordshire countryside beside the market town of Newcastle-under-Lyme and about 5 miles from Stoke-on-Trent station, between junctions 15 and 16 of the M6. Service 25 buses run from Stoke-on-Trent station to campus, and Manchester and Birmingham are under an hour away. Life is quieter than at a city university, with most social life on campus.
Nearest airport: Manchester Airport (MAN), about 35 miles away
Notable alumni
- NN Netumbo Nandi-NdaitwahPresident of Namibia; postgraduate diploma in international relations and master's in diplomatic studies
- PP Priti PatelFormer UK Home Secretary; economics graduate
- MM Michael MansfieldHuman rights barrister (KC); BA in history and philosophy
- AO AJ OduduTV presenter (Big Brother); degree in English and politics
- ML Marina LewyckaNovelist (A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian); BA in English and philosophy
- RM Richard MottramSenior civil servant and former chair of the Joint Intelligence Committee; international relations graduate
- JF Jem FinerMusician, founding member of the Pogues; joint degree in computing and sociology
Frequently asked questions
What grades do you need to get into Keele?
Typical 2027 offers range from BBC (e.g. Business Management, Forensic Science) to ABB (Law, Pharmacy, Physics), with Medicine at A*AA. Eligible home applicants usually receive a contextual offer two grades lower.
What is the Keele application deadline for 2027 entry?
15 October 2026 for Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, and 13 January 2027 (18:00 UK time) for equal consideration on all other courses. Keele accepts later applications to most courses while places remain.
How much are Keele's fees for international students?
For 2026/27, international fees run from £17,100 to £29,800 a year for most courses (e.g. £18,200 for Law and Psychology), £33,000 for Veterinary Medicine and £46,700 for Medicine; 2027/28 fees are not yet confirmed. International students are automatically considered for a £3,000 UG Global Scholarship.
Does Keele interview applicants?
Only for Medicine, Veterinary Medicine and health courses such as Nursing, Midwifery, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy and Radiography. Other courses do not normally interview.
Is accommodation guaranteed at Keele?
Yes, for September starters who firmly accept an offer and apply for accommodation by 24 July. International students who apply by that date can live on campus for their whole course.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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